A chance encounter in the baths gives Xanthee an opportunity to offer up some gentle advice to Reveka.

When

It is sunset of the tenth day of the eleventh month of the thirteenth turn of the 12th pass.

Where

Public Baths, Igen Weyr

OOC Date

01 May 2018 04:00

Public Baths

Stout walls have been erected around several naturally formed pools, serving to provide a semblance of privacy and protection from the harsh wind and sand. Above the pools, well cleaned walkways criss-cross beneath tiled arches and descend with a stairway or two leading down to each pool to provide one means of slip-free access through the area. Surrounding the pools there are benches, receptacles to put used clothing and towels in, and areas to get sweetsand and towels from - if you didn't bring your own.

Dinner is done and it's the first time Reveka has been to the Caravan grounds since fleeing for Alira's weyr when they returned from the Steppes. It was weird, being amongst her people, having people point and stare, and not because she was pregnant this time, but because she came back not so, and empty handed. And the worst part had been her mother trying to approach her, acting all high and mighty and like she hadn't spent the last several months completely forgetting she had an elder daughter. It had been a sickening and depressing reunion and Reveka had found she wanted nothing of it. She'd gone to dinner alone, had eaten alone, and now sits in the baths, hair in a messy bun ontop of her head, eyes closed and relaxing as she tries to forget the depressing night. Perhaps she should leave and move to another caravan….

Another day, another mark, and Xanthee is finally done for the day. The neverending tithes have been the bane of the girl's existence for most of the sevenday, and it doesn't look like it's going to let up any time much before Winter sets in. She's rubbing at a painful knot in her neck, brows furrowed as she wanders to the baths, hoping the hot water will bring some relief. After her usual scan of the area to see who is there, her emerald eyes alight on Reveka and her heart lurches for a second in sympathy for her friend. After slipping out of her clothes and grabbing up the necessary toiletries, Xanthee pads over as she calls out, "You mind some company Reve?" in as gentle a tone as she can muster.

Hearing Xanthee's voice brings something close to a real smile to Reveka's face as she pops open an eye to look at the girl and nods. "As long as you aren't mum, you're more thna welcome." Reveka even sits up, opening both eyes and stretching. The hot water feels good on muscles she's been retraining into dance and contortion routines. She's been at it since Igraine told her she could be, and, she's also been in Igraine's stillroom, learning the art of Zingari healing. She's been a busy busy girl since giving birth, and she's had to be, to keep herself sane if nothing else. It's been hard watching Igraine and A'lira raise her son, a son she won't even allow herself to hold for fear she'll never let him go again. "How have you been? It feels like ages since I've seen you."

"You can just assume I'm always busy now. Busy or sleeping." Xanthee quips with a touch of exageration, she does manage to squeeze some quality time in with her Miner whenever she can as well. As she discards the towel, she steps into the hot baths with a soft hiss of pleasure as she progresses all the way in, sinking up to her shoulders as she wades lazily towards Reveka. "It's tithe time, and I remember how it always got the caverns hopping, but I had no idea how much goes into them." she says with a bewildered shake of her head before tilting her head to one side and inquires delicately, "How have you been?"

Reveka rolls her head and shoulders after stretching and the series of pops that follows is testiment to how kinked her back had gotten during her practice that day. "Tithing can be a trying time, it's always got the caravans hopping too…in more ways than one for the Zingari, Willa spends this time both sending them out and taking them in." As to Xan's question, Reveka shrugs. "I take it one day at a time, try to keep myself busy, and I've been successful, mostly."

Xanthee winces at the series of pops coming from Reveka, "Ohh I'm jealous. I wish I could get mine to do that." And she stretches her own shoulders experimentally but all she gets is the acute pain of tense muscles. "Maybe I need to soak more first." she ponders before submerging further, right up to her chin and just letting herself float as the hot water goes to work. "Well that's really good to hear. You back in your yurt or still at the Weyr?"

Reveka smiles. "Yes, soak a bit and I'll help you with that." She sighs when Xan asks where she's been staying. "I only just went back today…and it wasn't all that great." There's silence for a good bjeat before Reveka speaks again. "It was pretty awful having everyone staring and whispering." It's enough to make Reveka wonder if that's how Aztrexia had felt when the gossip mill had been turned on her. Poor girl. It's enough to drive a person mad. "I'm not sure if I want to go back at this point and I'm learning so much from Igraine."

Xanthee nods along in sympathy with her friend as she sighs heavily at the girl's troubles. "That's horrible, I'm so sorry you have to deal with that. It sounds awful." Xan commiserates, having been the source of stares herself before, although for totally different reasons. At the mention of learning from Igraine, she nods, encouraged but also lets a note of trepidation enter her tone. "That's great that you're learning so much from Igraine, truly, but I had a thought I wanted to share with you." She'll ease into it carefully, she doesn't want to come off as pushy, "Actually it's kinda Mal's idea too, well he's the inspiration anyway." she pauses then to glace at her bestie, waiting to see how this is received before going on.

Reveka shrugs and sighs, letting her hair down so she can put it back up in a more pleasing, and better fashion. It's begun to droop down and stick to her shoulders and the sensation is unpleasant. "It's my own damn fault. It's horrible, but I brought it on myself." It's true she could have used better support from those of her family that supposedly loved her, but things are what they are and Reveka knows there's just no changing it. The trepidation in Xan's voice when they speak of Reveka's new line of work causes the Zingari woman pause and she looks over at Xanthee a bit nervously, an eyebrow raising in question. "Oh? What's that?"

"Now I definitely don't want to discourage something you are really enjoying learning, but.." Xanthee begins as she hold her hands up to encourage the girl to wait till she's done to judge for herself, "Mal reminded me lately that sometimes it's good to get away from everything. Had to drag me all the way to Telgar to do so as well." Xan will share all the details of the romantic getaway later, for now she is sticking to the relevant points. "Maybe if you could go somewhere no one knew you or what you'd been through for a little while, let yourself rest without that worry always following you around." The next part she seems torn about bringing up, but she means it with the best possible intentions, "Also, I don't know how wise it is to try and make a break while you're still living with the couple fostering your baby." The worry for her friend is clear in her eyes, but she's also bracing herself for this to blow up in her face too.

Reveka actually seems fine with what Xanthee is saying, having had similar thoughts herself, that is, until she brings up still living with the couple fostering her son. Here, she blanches, physically wincing inward. The look on her face is akin to that of a woman slapped, but that's not really how she's feeling. She knows Xanthee is right, has been telling herself to move out for sevens now, but even just being able to be close to Revaerys has been a comfort, even if she can't bring herself to hold him or be around him long. "I know…." Is her quiet response after.

Xanthee winces when she sees Reveka recoil at her words but then looks a little relieved when her friend seems to agree with her. "I can't begin to understand how you are feeling about all of this and I want to support you in whatever way I can." She reaches out for her friends hand then, hoping to squeeze it reaassuringly. "We had a couple ideas. Mal's taking me to Ista to meet his family and we wondered if you wanted to come along. You can get your own room, we'd give you plenty of space. And apparently he says the shopping is top notch." She offers an encouraging smile in the other girl's direction, "Of course, It would only be for a few days, but if you'd prefer longer, why not see if you can't go stay at Southern for awhile? I'm sure Amani can arrange a room for you somewhere, and you can keep each other company. It's almost summer there you know." she waggles her eyebrows expressively in Reveka's direction, feeling a pang of jealousy that she cn't make an extended trip south herself.

Reveka , who has never been to Ista, does seem to perk at that idea, even if the idea of crossing the sea fills her with dread, and she does let Xan take her hand. What tangled webs she wove were not for her friend to unwind, but her support is much appreciated. "We'd go a'dragon back right?" She asks, trying to veer away from the painful topic of living with but not mothering her own child, but then Xanthee is mentioning Southern and Reveka finds herself nodding along, a yearning for her other best friend felt so sharply in that moment that Amani's absence is near palpable. "Going and seeing her would be nice, and I'm sure Willimina would appreciate the update on how our gold riding adoptee is doing." Reveka smiles, though it doesn't quite reach her eyes.

Xanthee clasps the older girl's hand tighly as she nods, "Of course we would. I'd be a poor excuse for a weyrbrat if I couldn't manage to wrangle a ride for us," cause Xan's got the connections, or really just knows a lot of riders. "You can even do both. I'm sure Mal won't mind. He's the one who brought up taking you along with us to Ista. He really cares as well." At the smile she sees forming on Reveka's face, Xan takes it as a good sign, even if it's not reaching her eyes, and nods along with the girl. "I'm sure Amani would like it as well. I'm actually quite envious I can't come with you, but alas, I'm needed here." Xan sighs wistfully with no small dose of false modesty as her eyes dance playfully.

Reveka nods and sighs her smile fading so that she might chew a bit at her lower lip in thought. Always one to overthink things, Reveka also keeps in mind the things left unfinished, things left unsaid. "I know I need a change, and I…I think you and Mal have the right idea, I'd love to take you up on your offer…. but I have things I need to do before I go anywhere, things I've been putting off." Like seeing Daen. Or writing him. "When were you planning on going?" There's an odd sort of look that crosses Reveka's face when Xan mentions being needed in Igen, almost a mix of envy and longing. And perhaps that's exactly what it is, though she really doesn't hold any such feelings towards her friend. Reveka just feels lost of late, as if she's drifting at sea with no star to guide her.

Xanthee wonders at the strange look crossing her friend's face but is encouraged when she seems to agree, giving her hand one last squeeze because hugging in the baths can get awkward, Xan reaches for the soap sand as she considers her friend's question, "I'm not sure, since Mal's the one coordinating with his family on their end, but I will keep you posted ok?" she offers as she gets into scrubbing. "And should I reach out to Amani, or do you want to do that yourself?

Reveka nods. "Alright." Xan's movement seems to put the Zingari woman into motion too and she begins her own bathing, having been soaking for a bit now. As for contacting Amani… "I'll do it, it'll be nice to write to her, we haven't spoken in a long while and it will feel good to make contact myself." And it will spur her into doing things she should have done from the start, like moving out of the weyr and away from the child she'd given birth to, no matter how much it might kill her to do so. Staying would be worse.

"Sounds good to me." Xanthee bobs her head, smile brightening as she goes to work on her bathing. "And if you need me for anything, I'm just a flit note away." she makes sure to catch her friend's eye to make sure she knows that Xan really means that. "As soon as Mal tells me anything about Ista, I'll pass it along." And then the raven haired girl will get to lathering up her tresses as she turns the conversation to lighter topics, sharing all the latest Caverns gossip.